Jack Tzekov

My fascination with Eastern Orthodox iconography dates back to my childhood. Later on, as an art student in Bulgaria, I had the opportunity to work with a restoration team on cleaning and restoring 17th and 18th century icons from churches and monasteries across the country. This experience inspired my first copies of original icons. 

The traditional East Orthodox icons are painted on wooden panels. Most of them are part of church iconostases. Their style, looking at first glance somewhat primitive and two dimensional, have evolved over the sentries as each iconographer has contributed their own sensibility to their creation. 

My work is influenced by this traditional style and method and keeps me connected to my Slavic roots. 

I use a variety of media from acrylic and gold paint to traditional materials such as egg tempera and organic gesso, made from rabbit skin glue and chalk. 

Each of my paintings is rather an interpretation of the traditional canonic art than a religious church icon itself.